Card index



Aug. 25, 1925. 1,550,838

` D. PARKER GARD I NDEX TT ONE Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES DONALD PARKER, E' SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

CARD INDEX..

Application filed October 21, 1922. Serial No. 596,017.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card Indexes, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in card indexes, and more particularly to improvements in a card indexing system especially adapted for keeping records of automobiles of all descriptions.

An important object of the invention is to provide an index of this character by means of which identification of a vehicle from any one of a plurality of factors may be obtained and by means of which dupli cation of serial, State, engine or other numbers upon the vehicle may be readily determined.

A further object of the invention is to provide an indexing card capable of use for the reception of all of the data pertaining to a given car through a considerable period of time and which is capable of use in duplicate in different subdivisions of the index.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a card for use in an indexing system having a plurality of subdivisions each requiring the same data in different arrangements of construction such that confusion of the cards belonging to the differentsubdivisions is avoided.

These and other objects I attain by the construction and arrangement shown in the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of an index for placing cards in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a face view of the file card;

Figure 3 is a similar view of the separatorcard;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view showing the use of the separator card for use in connection with alphabetical indexes.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a file card provided across the top thereof with a row of numbers ranging from one to ten, as

indicated at 11. Below the row of numbers l1 the card is divided vertically into four main columns, indicated at 12, 13, 14 and 15, corresponding to main subdivisions of the index. Vhile four main subdivisions are here provided it will, of course, be understood that a greater number of main subdivisions may be employed if found' desirable.

The file card is divided by lines 1G extending transversely thereof into a plurality of spaces, the uppermost of these spaces being provided with the headings of the subdivisions. In the present disclosure the subdivision 12 has the heading Engine number, and is intended to receive the engine number of the car being registered. The subdivision 13 is intended for use for the State number and is headed State number and year, receiving the State number or license number of the car and the year of issuance of this license. The subdivision 111 is intended for mark numbers and will receive the number corresponding to a given secret mark or identification mark placed upon the vehicle as a means of identification. These numbers may be either the private numbers of an insurance firm or identifica tion means known only to the owner and operator of the vehicle and to those having access to the index. The subdivision 15 is intended for the name of the owner and is preferably accompanied by a further subdivision 15a upon which the address of the owner may be placed.

The card is further provided with secn ondary subdivisions generally indicated at 17, which may be employed to determine whether the vehicle indexed is registered with the firm maintaining the index, has ever been stolen and if so whether it has been found, whether the car is an alien car or one to which a record is impossible, whether the car is used or no and whether the marking numbers of the car have ever been defaced, these columns being headed respectively by the characters R, S, F, A, U and D. The card may be provided with other subdivisions, one of which may be headed to indicate that the maker is listed below, another to show the type of car, and another to show whether the car has been transferred. The transfer of the car will, of course, be accompanied by a change upon the card in the name of the owner.

It will be obvious that with such data at hand it will be possible, provided the cards are properly multiple-indexed, to obtain the full data of the car either from the engine number, State number, mark number or the owners name. I accordingly employ an indexing system dividing the cards into these four groups, a duplicate card of each vehicle being made for each of the groups, One of these groups is arranged entirely according to the engine number, and since the engine number of the car does not change, the index section thus formed will be permanent. Those cards listed under the State number will, of course, be changed from year to year, that is to say, the numbers themselves will be changed upon the same card and the card reliled under its new number. The mark numbers of the vehicle are, of course, unchanging, and this record is likewise permanent. The names of the owners occasionally changing during the life of a car, this index will be changed as the change of owners is found or announced.

Under those subdivisions where the cards are arranged according to engine number, the cards must necessarily be subdivided likewise under the name of the maker, all cards of a given make being indexed und-er a secondary subdivision of the main subdivision. Those listed under State number will be subdivided as to States, and those under the owner will be subdivided as to name. The mark numbers will, of course, b-e arranged in continuity and there is accordingly no necessity for subdivision, although it is preferred that these mark numbers be subdivided likewise by the name of the maker so as to eliminate unnecessary searching. In arranging the cards according to number in any of these subdivisions, all cards the numbers of which end in one will have removed from th-e top thereof that portion of the top bearing the numbers two to ten. All numbers end in two will be designated by removing all numbers but the number two and so forth. I then provide subdivision cards 19 having a tab 20 bearing numbers in multiples of ten, as 10, 20 and 30, this tab being arranged upon the side, and upon the upper edge with tabs 21 bearing subdivision numbers as to section, as 2000, 4000 and 6000. Between these subdivision cards the record on file cards are arranged according to their proper numbers, ten cards being arranged between each two successive subdivision cards and being numbered from one to ten so that the card of any subdivision having a single tab projecting upwardly and bearing the last number of the number of th-e car represented will be readily accessible. For example, cards of cars having engine numbers one to ten will be first placed in the index then an index card or subdivision card 19 placed to indicate that the numbers following this card are above ten. Then the cards from eleven to twenty will be placed in position and a second subdivision card 19 having the number twenty upon its tabs 20 placed in position. After 2000 cards, for example, are thus placed in position, a subdivision card 19 having a tab 2000 is placed in position and the numbering retarded.

It will be obvious that where the cards are listed under their engine numbers, if a card is prepared for a car the engine number of which has been changed, this will immediately become obvious when th-e card therefor is placed in position, leading to an investigation to determine who is properly possessed of this engine number and probably to the recovery of the car, the engine number of which has been changed. In the event that it is impossible to discover the owner of the car the engine number of which has been changed, the card for the car bearing the changed number may be identified by any suitable means, as by encircling the number eleven at the top of the card with colored ink or stamping upon the face of the card something indicating that the engine number is a changed one. Where the cards are listed under name, the tabs 2O will bear in lieu of the numbers, names alphabetically arranged, as Murray, Murrell and Murrison, all similar names being arranged under these headings and being subdivided by the initials of the first names of the owners as desired. Each of the main subdivisions will have the cards thereof marked to indicate the subdivision in which the card belongs, as for example, by printing the heading of the subdivision column in a different colored ink or by stamping or otherwise marking the card. In the present disclosure I have shown the sub-division column as indicated with an X.

It will likewise be obvious that in the use of a card index constructed in accordance with the foregoing, by employing any one of the data elements of the main subdivisions as a basis for search, the remaining data will be readily accessible. Furthermore, duplications of numbers may be rapidly checked and the information carried by the cards may be readily and cheaply compiled and maintained and is readily obtained when needed. rI`he dividing lines 16 may be of suiiicient number to contain all of the data necessary to complete the history of a car of average life. If a car is stolen and dismembered and the parts are offered for sale, if these parts bear any private markings of the ownership, this ownership may be readily traced provided the marking is of such character as to permit such tracing. It will furthermore be obvious that the specific arrangement ofcard hereinbefore illustrated is capable of some change and modification without materially departing PAPER ninna from the spirit of my invention and I ac cordingly do not limit myself to such specific arrangement except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim z- In a card index, separator cards adapted to subdivide the index into a plurality of sections, each containing a predetermined number of cards, and ile cards in said sections each card provided initially along its top edge With a row of positioning tabs corresponding in number to the number of cards in each section and adapted for the reception of identifying data, each of said cards having removed therefronfall of the tabs with the exception of that corresponding to its position Within the section, said separator cards each having a tab upon a side edge thereof, said tab being provided With identifying data to be read in conjunction with the data of said file card tabs to provide complete identification of the file card While in position Within the file.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

DONALD PARKER. 

